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November 30, 2023 Question: When we take the patient to the OR to debride a wound or burn using Versajet…
November 16, 2023 Question: Our physician is coding by time; he thinks this is the best for him. Frequently with…
November 2, 2023 Question: We are in an academic setting. Our residents will see a patient, for example, at 11…
October 19, 2023 Question: Our physicians list their diagnosis codes in the Assessment section of their notes. They link the…
October 5, 2023 Question: When acting as an assistant surgeon, should I dictate a separate operative note? Answer: No. In…
August 17, 2023 Question: Our physicians’ defaults to time for almost every office encounter. We are working with them on…
August 3, 2023 Question: We are submitting a hospital claim form with the modifier 25 and FS modifier. We are…
July 20, 2023 Question: I repaired a 12 cm jagged laceration of the midabdomen by undermning1cm to release the skin…
July 6, 2023 Question: A 24-year-old male is seen in our office for gynecomastia. My physician did a bilateral resection…
June 22, 2023 Question: I need some guidance. A general surgeon did a left mastectomy four months ago for a…
June 8, 2023 Question: I have a question regarding 2023 shared visit rules. I am reviewing an E&M note where…
May 25, 2023 Question: My plastic surgery saw a patient who sustained an approximately 40% total body surface area burn…
May 11, 2023 Question: My coder says I cannot bill for taking the patient back to the OR to repair…
April 27, 2023 Question: When choosing the level of E/M we are confused about the History and Exam. If we…
April 13, 2023 Question: What Modifier do I use when I have to take the patient back to the operating…
March 30, 2023 Question: What CPT code would you use for a wound debridement when the operative notes says the…
March 16, 2023 Question: How should my physician document an adjacent tissue transfer? My physician documents the total in sq…
March 2, 2023 Question: Our plastic surgeon routinely does repairs after Mohs surgery. What CPT code do I report for…
February 2, 2023 Question: What does “separate procedure” mean when it follows a CPT code description? Answer: Per CPT: Some…
January 19, 2023 Question: We have a patient with 2 commercial payers (BCBS and Cigna). A consultation code was submitted…
December 15, 2022 Question: In 2023, will the level of service be determined by history, exam and medical decision making,…
December 1, 2022 Question: My physician is insisting that I bill an excision biopsy using a punch as a punch…
November 17, 2022 Question: What CPT code do I use to report the repair of the cleft lip with a…
November 3, 2022 Question: My physician performed two soft tissue tumor excisions in different areas on the scalp. They measured…
October 20, 2022 Question: What is the difference between an implant and a foreign body? Answer: On page 90 of…
October 6, 2022 Question: We have a patient with 2 commercial payers (BCBS and Cigna). A consultation code was submitted…
September 22, 2022 Question: I am a contracted physician with a group practice (Practice A) in our town. I have…
September 8, 2022 Question: Can I bill an office visit in the global period if the diagnosis is different from…
August 25, 2022 Question: My coder just told me about the new guidelines for 2021 office visit codes. She said…
August 11, 2022 Question: Can I use modifiers on an unlisted code? What about global period modifiers such as 58,…
Articles
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2022 by Karen Zupko Many aesthetic practices and spas we work with offer patient financing—but you’d…
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2021 by Karen Zupko In 2020, 40 years of traveling weekly came to an abrupt halt…
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2021 by Karen Zupko and Isabel Bolt What keeps plastic surgeons up at night? Most would…
Aesthetic Society News – Spring 2021 by Karen Zupko The environment in which you practice is part of your brand.…
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2020 by Karen Zupko Suspects. Prospects. First-time patients. Repeat Patients. Advocates. Are your Suspects or…
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2021 by Karen Zupko The cover of Barron’s said it best: “Help is NOT on…
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2019 by Karen Zupko Turning callers and prospects into scheduled consults is a subject that…
Aesthetic Society News – March 2018 by Karen Zupko, President One area of practice administration where most plastic surgery practices…
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2018 by Amy Boyer, MBA Every plastic surgeon knows that photography is an essential part…
High Deductible Health Plans: Take Accounts Receivable Action Now The American Journal of Orthopedics® – November/December 2017 by Karen Zupko,…
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2017 by Karen Zupko, President To charge or not to charge? That is the question…
Practice Management: Unique Selling Points MedEsthetics – October 2017 by Karen Zupko, President Help your practice stand out by recognizing…
Aesthetic Society News – Spring 2017 by Karen Zupko, President “Sorry, I didn’t call you back last week, Karen. I…
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2016 by Karen Zupko, President Last week, a plastic surgeon from Tennessee called. He outsources…
We frequently visit practices that have spent the equivalent of a Mercedes convertible on a practice management system (PMS).
There is a common perception among aesthetic surgeons that the primary reason a patient doesn’t schedule surgery is because of…
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2016 by Karen Zupko, President After mystery shopping over 150 aesthetic plastic surgery practices through…
Price. Product (or Service). Promotion. Place. These "4 Ps" comprise the classic Marketing Mix and are foundational components of any…
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA We frequently find that aesthetic surgeons make expensive business decisions…
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2015 by Glenn Morley Rewarding a Patient Care Coordinator (PPC) with a financial bonus can…
The Association of Dermatology Administrators & Managers Newsletter by Glenn Morley If you’ve decided to make the strategic change toward…
MedEsthetics Magazine – March 2015 Cheyenne Brinson, MBA, CPA It’s not enough to make more than you spend practices must…
MedEsthetics – November/December 2014 by Karen Zupko Because employees of medical practices and medspas have easy access to patient information,…
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2014 by Karen Zupko, President “How long will I have to stop running after surgery?”…
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2014 by Karen Zupko, President A few years ago, we worked with an aesthetic practice…
Aesthetic Society News – Spring 2014 by Karen Zupko, President You’ve spent thousands on attractive branding and Web design. You’ve…
Plastic Surgery News Connection – October 2013 by Cheryl Toth, MBA “It’s a total nightmare!” The physician’s voice was a…
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2011 by Karen Zupko, President When Lucy showed up for the interview, you thought your…
